Sharath says he is blessed to have worked with legends like Dravid.
| Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
For the last five years, S. Sharath has been a key member of the Indian cricket set-up, serving twice as chairman of the junior committee and three years as a senior selector.
During his stints, the India under-19 team won World Cups in 2022 and 2026, and he also helped select the senior squads that won the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
“It has been a very fruitful journey to be able to contribute to Indian cricket. I missed out on playing for the country, but God has been kind enough to let me contribute in a different role.
“I am grateful for the support of N. Srinivasan sir, K.S. Viswanathan sir, Jay (bhai) Shah and my family,” said Sharath.
“It was a team effort, and I was blessed to work with some great former cricketers in both committees. I also have to mention Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman, and the CoE’s support.”
The former Tamil Nadu batter gave an insight into what makes a good selector. “First thing is you should disassociate yourself from the fact that you were a former player and come with an open mind. The game has evolved, and you should understand the demands of the team combination,” said the 53-year-old.
“Skills are always there, but it is the mental side of the game that is important. A selector must be empathetic. You have more bad days than good days as a player, and how you react on a bad day tells how good a player is.”
“If you are a batter, small things like whether he is switched on while at the non-striker’s end helping his partner or as a bowler whether he is running in hard through the day, these are things you observe.”
On the highlights of his tenure, “In 2021, when I took over as chairman, we were in the midst of a pandemic. Our young boys hadn’t played any cricket for two years. So, putting together a team in a short time and winning the World Cup was special. The highlight for me will be the 2023 ODI World Cup. Though we lost in the final, we were the dominant team in that tournament and played an exciting brand of cricket.”
Published – October 25, 2026 11:02 pm IST
